"A lot of fans have been posting online wish lists and remarks about the style of MOTU Classics. While we did say in some recent Q & As that we will look at the 2002-2004 line for influence, I want to clear up any confusion about the look of the figure sculpts inthe Classics line.

The hyper detail 2002 look is has been 'retired'. You won't see any hyper stylized figures in the Classics line. But what you will see is figures from the 2002 series done in 'Classics' style (such as King Grayskull). If a character had unique armor or weapons in the 2002 series, we will look at finding ways to bring that into the Classics line, but we won't, for example, be doing a '2002 Hordak' as we already included his 2002 staff with the current figure. 2002 Hordak and Classics Hordak is the same character, just sculpted in a different style.

The style behind the Classics line is that these are figures based on the look and feel of the original MOTU 1981-1987 line but with today's modern articualtion and detail. We will look at doing POP, NA and '200X' figures in the Classics line, but they will be done in the same style as other Classics figures, not in the hyper detail look of the 200X line.

We know there are a lot of fans of the 2002-2004 line out there. And one day we may go back and do a new line of figures in this style. But the Classics line is an all new line, unrelated to the look of the 2002 - 2004 line. We have some really great figures in the wings waiting to be shown off at SDCC. Although not every fan will get exactly what they want, their are some great surprises in store!"

July 14

Just a reminder!
Man-at-Arms goes on sale today (Wed, the 15th) at 12 noon EST (GMT -5) at Matty!

Here are our tips about the red screen queuing system again.VERY IMPORTANT: new important tips have been added! Please read them, as you will probably benefit heavily from this information!

The refresh screen at Matty is a protective measure to help alleviate traffic and help you place your order!

As it says, it refreshes on it's own!

Don't get frustrated,
don't keep hitting refresh on your own!
Doing this is part of the reason for the server overload!

Let the red screen refresh work for you,
sit and wait for the refresh screen to disappear on its own,
and have patience!

Like with previous figures, Mattel has stated that you will get through to place your order as long as the figure is in stock!
Fans have reported sitting on a refresh screen for almost 20 minutes before a successful order goes through.

Also, you may experience the red screen more than once, or even after every step of the ordering process! Try not to it frustrate you.

We have also discovered that most fans who have experienced 15+ minute waits on the red screen logged in to Matty Collector before 12:00 noon EST (GMT -5)!
It is in your best interest to login right as the figure goes on sale, at 12:01 EST (GMT -5) or even a few minutes later.
It's ultimately up to you, but this is still our advice based on what we've been told and what we've seen other fans experience.

Also, if you find that you are still sitting on the red screen after 15 minutes, only then do we say that it's potentially okay to manually refresh your screen.
This seemed to help a couple users who got stuck for very long periods of time, but not always.
The downside to this: Toyguru has pointed out that if you DO manually refresh, you are put at the end of the list for those who are currently placing orders. So a manual screen refresh may result in you missing out on the figure.

So in our opinion your best course of action is to is to log in after 12:01 EST (GMT -5),
and to wait out the red refresh screen.
Remember that the red screen queuing system is there to help you!

July 14

Took an extra day to sort all of these poll results.
That's because the results are quite interesting!
Let's look at it poll by poll.

First up, we need to know what percentage of customers the votes represent.
Based on information posted, gathered and guestimated, here are the production numbers on the MOTUC line that have been predicted by us and fans on He-Man.org
These are not to be relied on as accurate!It's only here as some form of reference point.

King Grayskull - 5000
He-Man - 10,000
Beast Man - 7,500
Skeletor - 10,000
Stratos - 7,500
Faker - 7,500 (we estimate 5000 were taking to NYCC to match what was taken to SDCC for King Grayskull)
Mer-Man - 15,000 (this is where Mattel said they had doubled numbers)
Zodac - 15,000
Hordak - 15,000 (Mattel stated that the numbers of Hordak were not hirer than previous figures)

The votes in the poll ranged between approximately 1800 votes to 2300 votes depending on the poll.
If everyone who voted is buying MOTUC figures, the representation of the amount consumed from the totals above depends on how many figures each fan ordered.
If everyone ordered just 1 figure, the average representation in our polls is about 14%
If everyone averaged 3 figures ordered, the average representation in our polls is about 42%
So the polls could potentially represent a respectable percentage of the consumer audience for MOTUC.

Extra heads clearly win out. But a respectable number of voters still preferred mini-comics.
While only a few people at the SDCC convention raised their hands for a vote on mini-comics, the story is quite different when put to a worldwide vote.

Poll #2 - What figure order limits should Mattel put in place?
Now that the line has been active for almost a year, where do fans feel the limit on orders should be?
*** 2097 fans voted in this poll ***
Reduce it to 3 per person for fans across the globe - 643 (30.66%)
Reduce it to 5 per person for fans across the globe - 561 (26.75%)
Leave it at 10 per person for fans across the globe - 351 (16.74%)
Find a way to leave it at 10 per person for international fans so they
can gang-order and save on shipping, and reduce it to 3 per person for
US fans - 310 (14.78%)
Find a way to leave it at 10 per person for international fans so they
can gang-order and save on shipping, and reduce it to 5 per person for
US fans - 232 (11.06%)

Results heavily vary in this poll.
One should note that 57.41% voted for the limit to be 5 or less. So an adjustment to 5 would be closer to representing a majority vote.
One should also note that 25.84% voted to find a way to increase the limit for international fans to allow them to save on shipping, but decrease for US based fan orders.

Poll #3 - Which brands are most important to you?Fans all have their favorite MOTU lines. And some like them all. This gives us an idea of where popularity falls for the brands. This was also a ranking poll. So you could vote for all the brands you like.
*** 2186 fans voted in this poll ***
Original MOTU - 2,072 (94.78%)
Relaunched 2002 - 1,515 (69.30%)
She-Ra: POP - 1,413 (64.64%)
New Adventures of He-Man - 857 (39.20%)

It's safe to say from this poll that a big chunk of all fans who voted want to see ALL brands represented.
Original MOTU is the heavy winner by far. Very few fans do not want to see this brand represented. And since the MOTUC line is based most heavily in the original MOTU look, it looks like the line is to a good start.
But 2002 and She-Ra also came in heavy.
The sculpting style and reuse of parts in MOTUC makes the necessity of individual toolings for figures to achieve a 2002 next to impossible, as already indicated by Mattel. But love for the 2002 line remains heavy.

Poll #4 - What changes should be made if Mattel re-releases He-Man?Mattel will be releasing He-Man and other figures who have previously sold out. We listed the most popular things people would want to see changed for a re-release of He-Man. This was also a ranking poll. So you could vote for all the elements you would want to see changed.
*** 1884 fans voted in this poll ***
modified packaging to indicate it is a new release - 982 (52.12%)
altering He-Man's wrist articulation so he can hold his sword perpendicular to the ground like in his famous transformation sequence - 812 (43.10%)
reducing red around the eyes - 781 (41.45%)
increasing the flexibility of the plastic in the furry shorts to allow for more posing and seating options - 693 (36.78%)
fix orientation of shoulders so they are not backwards - 671 (35.62%)
find a way to have tighter joints - 641 (34.02%)
no action-posing in the packaging to help prevent breaking - 598 (31.74%)
reducing glossy finish - 569 (30.20%)
reducing the size of He-Man's crotch piece between the ball-joints to match the size of Beast Man's in order to help prevent a bow-legged stance - 556 (29.51%)
lower his eyebrows to be closer to how Faker's were painted - 341 (18.10%)
don't change a thing - 335 (17.78%)

The rankings speak for themselves.
2nd edition packaging is the top preference.
Each option decrease slowly in popularity, so there's no clear divide on where interest drops dramatically on any one item.

--------------------------MegaGearMax has passed along this update, originally posted by Mattel!

"We know a lot of fans are very excited about the Designed at Mattel Vol. 1 book on MOTU being offered at SDCC. A few more details: The book will be softcover, 53 pages, with a numbered foil stamped ribbon across the cover. It will be $50.00 and limited to 2 per guest per line wait. It will have sections on all the major MOTU lines and a look at the future of the brand.

Now we know a lot of fans are asking why only 1,000 copies and will we ever reprint? The answer (at least for now) is that this was actually a number required. For a variety of legal reasons we were restricted to only create this book if we kept it as a limited edition. That was part of the bargain for getting to do the book itself. It was 1,000 editions or nothing He-Fans.

A big thank you to Toy Guru for pulling together a lot of the research and material as well as all the Mattel artists over the years for so generously giving of their imaginations to create lasting characters in the world of MOTU!

Long time fans and new comers alike will be sure to enjoy all of the surprises in store at SDCC!

Somehow these polls from February got away from us and we never finished them.
So, if you've already voted, you're good.
If not, PLEASE VOTE!
We're going to post results on Monday:

Poll #1 - Mini-comics VS extra heads
At NYCC, Mattel told fans it may come down to getting either mini-comics or extra interchangeable heads with the MOTUC figures.
A showing of hands at the con favored the extra heads.
But is that the same opinion held by fans across the world?
Vote and let us know!

Poll #2 - Limits on MOTUC figures at Matty Collector
In our original poll, fans favored a limit of 3, which Mattel put into place.
But then they later adjusted it to 10 to help out international fans who wanted to place gang-orders to save on shipping.
Now that we are seeing fast sell-outs of MOTUC figures (3 days on Stratos!), do you still feel the same way about a limit of 10?
We came up with some options between 3 and 10, and now are leaving it up to you choose what is best.
Vote and let us know!

Poll #3 - What brands are important to you in MOTUC?
In our last brand poll, we found out which fans would only buy certain brands in the MOTUC line.
Well, now we want to hear from those of you who are buying some or all of the MOTUC figures no matter what!
What brands do you want to see in the MOTUC? Which are important to you now that you are hooked?
Classic MOTU? 2002? POP? NA? All or some?
Vote and let us know!

Poll #4 - What changes would you want in a re-release of He-Man?
With He-Man sold out, Mattel is moving to re-release him.
But when he is re-released, what would you like to see changed to the figure and/or packaging, if anything?
Pick from some of the more popular options discussed by fans on the forums. Or let us know that you like him as-is!
Vote and let us know!

We'll run the polls for about a month.Afterwards, we'll post the results for all to see!

IMPORTANT!
Once you've added your selections to poll 3 and poll 4,
you can click, drag and reorganize them in the list into your preference.
If you've voted once, you can vote again to change your previous vote. It just overwrites it.

July 10

MegaGearMax has passed along this news, originally posted by Mattel!

"Oh man, this is BIG… the design team at Mattel just announced the firstbook in their 'Designed @ Mattel' series and it's a MOTU art book!

The book shows off the fantastic art of the MOTU brand from 1981through current day. It's packed with never-before-seen Mattel conceptart, behind-the-scenes notes, posters, oil paintings, and a whole lotmore from across the brand. All that MOTU art from over the years ismighty sweet, but the book also premiers concept art from new projects,like a proposed live action film!

It's a soft-cover edition, limited to only 1,000 numbered copies. Eachone comes with a numbered cover ribbon and an embossed seal. The firstplace they'll be available is San Diego Comic-Con. Purchases will belimited to two per guest, per wait in line. And get this… you can evenhave your copy signed by the Mattel artists at the show!

If any units remain after the show they may be sold onMattycollector.com, but honestly, we expect to sell out at SDCC. Besure to come by the MattyCollector.com booth early for your chance toown a piece of MOTU history!"

5. Masters of the Universe Classics is another property with a rich animated history. What are your favorite episodes and who were the standout characters in them?From Toy Guru:
Lots of personal favorite questions this month!

The 2002 MOTU series is my personal favorite with the "Power of Grayskull" and "Rise of the Snakemen Part II" being favorite specific episodes. In the Classic series, "Evil Seed" and the "Golden Disc of Knowledge" are also favorites. Anything with Zodac just rocks. I always felt he was underused.

As for standout characters, Stratos, Buzz Off, Spikor, Scareglow, the Comet Warriors and Webstor were some of my favorite figures as a child and I'm looking forward to eventually bringing them to the Classics line (well obviously Stratos and Webstor already made the cut, but you get the idea!).

6. You recently mentioned finding a lot of vintage MOTU collateral that predates the original toys. What's the coolest piece you found? How will this material influence the toy line? For example, would you use it to build up the character profiles, or might you even introduce alternate characters based on what you've found?The short answer is yes. We are definitely looking at some of the concept art and storylines as we work on the MOTUC bios such as using "Demo-Man" as the sprit Hordak bonded with Keldor to form Skeletor. One of the coolest pieces we found was the original story concept called "The Fighting Foe Men" where Beastman was He-Man's main enemy and Mer-Man was a good guy from a distant water planet which had evaporated into the sun!

7. Should we even bring up the Masters of the Universe live action movie from 1987? Any word on the Grayskull: Masters of the Universe feature film that's been in the planning stages for a while?As mentioned in previous Q & As, the 1987 film is not something which will currently be part of the Classics line. As for the new film, it is under development and once we have news to announce we will do so with all the Power of Eternia! Until then, Good Journey!

2. For MOTUC, a lot of fans of the Princess of Power corner of Masters are big fans of those character's Filmation costume designs. We that for legal reasons the figures of these characters cannot be right on-model to the Filmation scheme, but how close can the Horsemen take their designs?Mattel does not have the rights to Filmation's figures at this time. As for the Horsemen designs, you'll just have to wait and see! But not to worry, Mattel and Horsemen are very committed to doing POP character right!

3. You recently revealed that in 2010 most months will have more than one MOUTC item for offering. Can you tell us if that means mostly reissues of previous figures or can we expect two new figures each time? The more the merrier!Bonus items will be a combination of re-releases, new characters with minimal tooling, logical repaints (i.e. no techno glow Skeletor!) and some other surprises to be revealed at SDCC.

Kastor: Will Battle Cat be the bonus figure of the month or will he be the only MOTU figure offered for that month?Matty: He will be a bonus figure.

Kastor: Besides the exclusives, what other Matty Collector figures will be available at the SDCC Mattel Booth?Matty: We will have a few other Mattel items but do not have a list to publish quite yet.

July 7

Toyguru has sent answers to your questions from WTFWTK 2.21!

1. Are Horde Supreme and Horde Prime two different characters, or did Mattel have to change the Horde Prime character's name to Horde Supreme because of rights issues?More details about Horde Supreme will be revealed in time!

2. Have you done any additional exploration into the release of an accessory pack or "extra head" pack?We’re always looking into new ideas like this, but do not have any specific details to announce yet.

3. Is there any chance of releasing full-body armor on figures like Hordak or He-Ro, rather than the half-body armor we've seen due to the ab crunch articulation? Or maybe releasing full-armor in the accessory pack mentioned above?No. We’re pretty excited with the innovative look the Horsemen created for articulated armor and will continue to use it in the MOTUC line.

4. A lot of Fans really liked the clear Power Sword that was shown on the initial He-Ro prototype photos. Is there any chance of this version being released at some point? Or maybe releasing in the accessory pack mentioned above?No. There are several very specific reasons He-Ro’s sword is blue, one of which is the reference to the Blue Sword from the vintage weapon pack. Other reasons will be revealed in time!

5. In regards to major design changes that affect multiple figures (such as the half-armor), would Mattel consider doing a poll to gauge reaction from MOTU's audience before hand? This way, Mattel and the 4H can take into consideration what consumers think about a major design issues before it becomes too late to implement any changes.We’re very excited about the look the Horsemen created for MOTUC. We’ll continue to listen to fan feedback online and at conventions, but there are no plans at this time for any specific polls. The Horsemen are amazing sculptors and we leave it to them to make these type of decisions.

6. Since we were recently told that characters requiring more unique sculpting (such as Ram-Man, King Hiss or Two-Bad) will only happen if MOTUC is sold in retail stores, does this mean MOTUC will be moving to retail stores soon? If not, has Mattel considered offering those figures at a higher price in order to make them happen?Do to the huge success MOTUC has become, we have been able to allocate more tooling for the line and will now look at adding more highly tooled figures in the future. We would like to see the line make it to retail, but it will not depend on a retail release for these characters. Teela and Battlecat are both 100% tools.

7. When can we expect to see the e-mail customer service feature go into affect, as we are still limited to phone support?Likely later this summer. This is something we are working on.

8. Now that Boomerang Media has purchased the rights to the Filmation Library from Entertainment Rights, is Mattel seeking a deal with Boomerang to lease or purchase the MOTU and POP rights?Sorry, it is Mattel policy not to discuss contractual issues

9. Why did you decide on using Masters of the Universe as the title for the heroic warrior faction instead of how it was used in the classic line or even the 1987 movie as something that indicates all the characters are the ultimate masters of their individual powers, or that one who holds the ultimate power is the true master of the universe?“Masters of the Universe” has been the title of the heroic warriors lead by Man At Arms and He-Man throughout the 2002 series (just check out the 3rd vol episode “The Island”, Dekker clearly states that Duncan leads the “Masters of the Universe”). It was also used as the name of the heroes in the original mini comics. That being said, MOTU has always been designed as an avatar for the imagination. There isn’t any one true correct storyline. If fans want to refer to the “Masters” as all the characters in their personal story lines, that is just as valid.

10. Are there any sold-out figures that will not be seeing a re-release?Likely all of the figures will be considered for re-release in time, but there are no guarentees.

MegaGearMax sent along a Mattel Facebook update about SDCC, out of which we have posted the MOTU related info below:

"Only a few short weeks left to SDCC and we could not be more excited.

The latest info on our exclusives is on MattyCollector.com including limits and which items will be sold online after the show. While the limit on most items is 6 per person, you can get back in line and buy an additional 6 units if you wait again. (and hey, if you want to spend all of SDCC waiting in line over and over, that is each fan's choice!). But it will be 6 of each item per person per line wait. We will not be stamping badges except for the free 3 3/4" Anit-Monitor...

...We'll have a lot of other exciting events and signings from Mattel designers and the Four Horsemen as well as two fan panels on Friday. DC and Mattel - A Powerful Partnership will be at 11:00 in room 2 , and Mattypalooza featuring MOTUC and Ghostbusters will be at 2:00 in room 2.

And lastly, we have a really exciting Masters of the Universe item for sale only at SDCC that has yet to be announced. Look for more details in the next two weeks!"

Toyguru has verified this exclusive item is not a MOTUC toy. We have no idea what it may be, but we're guessing it's probably something like a poster or t-shirt.

--------------------------
MegaGearMax sent along a Mattel Facebook update about a creature possibility in the MOTUC line!

"Oh, we "could" do Granymyr since he appeared first in a min comic, but he would be very expensive to tool. We'll have to see how Battle Cat does first before considering larger items. And Cornboy is a huge fan of this character, so we know the Horsemen would do it right!"

Toyguru has stated this is not an indication that Granymyr is in the works. Only that it's an option.

--------------------------We posted tips earlier on how the Red Screen queuing system works over at Matty Collector.Now MegaGearMax sent along these additional Red Screen tips, posted by Toyguru over at their Facebook account:

"A lot of fans have posted and discussed getting stuck on the red refresh screen when placing orders in the first few hours an item goes on sale.

A quick tip. Do NOT hit your refresh button. You should be on this screen for less than a minute. Every time you hit refresh it boots you to the back of the line again.

We'll make sure to update this info on the red screen going forward!

Hope this helps."

June 30

This news update is a bit off the mark, but if you've been as frustrated by Windows Vista as we have, you'll probably appreciate it.
Windows 7 is supposed to be a huge improvement over Vista, and reviews look good so far.
Windows 7 is due out October 22nd, and right now Amazon is running a preorder sale.
If you buy a Windows 7 upgrade between now and July 11th, you can get 50% or more off, depending on which version you buy.
Those are some pretty big savings.
Plus, if you buy it after clicking on the link below, you also help out He-Man.org at no extra cost!
Remember: any time you want to buy something from Amazon, just click on one of Amazon banner ads or this Windows 7 upgrade link first, then surf to what you want to buy at Amazon. As long as you make your purchase during that visit to Amazon, you'll help out this site at no extra cost to yourself!Click here to purchase the Windows 7 upgrade of your choice.

--------------------------
Toyguru has sent this update about the Q&A sessions:

"Just to give everyone an update, we are working on the July 1st Q & A now and will return it a week from Wednesday. However, please be aware that with SDCC around the corner, this will be out last Q & A until Aug 15th...

...We will pick up with our usual schedule after."

--------------------------
MegaGearMax sent along news from Mattel, detailing their SDCC plans:

"For us toy collectors, the granddaddy of events has to be San Diego Comic-Con. The 2009 show starts July 23rd (preview night July 22nd) and runs through July 26th, and this year I'm bringing more cool stuff than ever before!

FAN PANELS
First off, we'll have not one, but TWO fan panels at the show:

NEW PRODUCTS
Then, visit me at Booth #2845, and you'll find tons of new toys either just coming on the market or soon to come. We'll have Ghostbusters, DC Universe, DC Universe Classics, Infinite Heroes, Justice League Unlimited, Masters of the Universe Classics, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Disney/Pixar CARS, Toy Story, Hot Wheels, Scene It? The DVD Game, and the insane new Mindflex game — plus a few surprises!

PRODUCTS AVAILABLE AT COMIC-CON
Products will be sold starting preview night. Customer service and safety is our number one priority, so we'll have a separate booth run by our Toy Club to handle sales. Lines will only be allowed to get as long as the designated roped-off area, but "fast-pass" tickets will be handed out to reserve your spot later that day. Limits on all exclusives will be six per person, per visit to the Mattel booth.

If you choose to wait in line a second time, you'll be eligible to buy another 6 figures (there will also be a limit of six figures for online purchases after the show). It should all go very smoothly for the best buying experience yet!

We're going to have plenty of gotta-get products available for sale, including (click each for all the scoop):

Disney/Pixar CARS Toon Rescue Squad Mater

3-3/4" scale Buzz Lightyear figure

DC Universe Infinite Heroes Anti-Monitor figure

Justice League Unlimited Green Lantern Origins 3-pack

DC Universe Classics Wonder Twins 2 pack

Masters of the Universe Classics He-Ro figure

Ghostbusters Classics Dr. Egon Spengler with Slimer

PRODUCTS AVAILABLE AT MATTYCOLLECTOR.COM
Can't make it to Comic-Con? Fear not, fair comic fan! You'll be able to get everything listed above on MattyCollector.com starting at 12:00 Noon on Monday, August 3rd, except these items:

SDCC variant He-Ro

SDCC variant Buzz Lightyear (with "Andy" on his foot)

SDCC Gleek (but the onder Twins without Gleek will be available)

Whew! That's it for now, but stay tuned to MattyCollector.com, because I'll have more news as Comic-Con gets closer."

June 27

MegaGearMax sent along this update from Mattel's Facebook with new pics of and the bio for Webstor!

"WebstorEvil Master of Escape
Real Name: Araneus son of Raknus

One of the last remaining members of an ancient Eternian race of Spider Warriors called the Arachna, Webstor was awoken from hibernation beeneath Snake Mountain and occasionally allies himself with Skeletor. In ancient times, the Arachna were an advanced dominant race until driven underground by the Snake Men. Araneus retains much of the knowleedge of his people and while seemingly savage, is an expert mathematician and strategist as well as an accomplished escape artist. He often arms himself with a grappling hook Fast Pack and uses his climbing power to escape capture!"

June 23

UPDATED:
Turns out the slide was not a hint of what's coming, but instead a Four Horsemen wish-list of characters they hope to do.
So we can't count on any of those characters actually being made right now.

Regardless, it's important to remember that Mattel's 2002 relaunch had them doing updated versions of characters from the Filmation cartoon in the MYP cartoon, some of which have been hinted at as possible characters in the MOTUC toy line (eg: Evilseed and Count Marzo).
We also don't know the details of any of Mattel's toy rights, so you never know what they might be able to make and what could be around the corner.
The possibilities, while unknown, are potentially endless.
Keep those fingers crossed!

Check out this slide from the Four Horsemen panel in Wizard World Philly that depicts some most-wanted characters (some even shown in fan renditions; please note this does not mean they are using fan designs).
Thanks to He-Fan BoShek for posting this info!Click here to see what other fans have to say!

For those who may not recognize the characters at first glance,
Here's what is shown in the slide, from left to right.
Top row: The Goddess (original Sorceress from original mini-comics), villains from New Adventures of He-Man, Adora (who transforms into She-Ra), Megator (classic Powers of Grayskull evil giant toy only released in Italy)
Bottom row: Tytus (classic Powers of Grayskull heroic giant toy only released in Italy), Shadow Weaver (evil sorceress from The Evil Horde), heroes from the New Adventures of He-Man, Lizard-Man (hero from the classic cartoon)